VOL. 38 | NO. 50 | Friday, December 12, 2014
REALTY CHECK
All industries are loaded with personalities and characters and residential real estate is no exception. One of the most exciting is a mortgage loan officer known as Marty Maitland who is a twenty-something year veteran of the lending industry and a Nashville native who is currently working with BancorpSouth in Brentwood.
TENNESSEE TITANS
When the Tennessee Titans hired Ken Whisenhunt in January, it brought a breath of fresh air to an organization that sorely needed a change.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE – For all the tough times University of Tennessee football has endured in recent years, a turn for the better was bound to happen.
NEWSMAKERS
Dan Hogan, president and CEO of Medalogix, has been named the 2014 Young Leader of the Year by Young Leaders Council, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that has trained more than 2,000 men and women to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofit agencies.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Buick’s smallest car, the Verano sedan, is a rich-looking, pleasant-riding and surprisingly quiet compact with upscale features.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Social media can be an effective marketing channel, and the cost to entry – the hard cost, that is – is relatively low.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
The Eurozone, Japan and select emerging markets all seem to be struggling economically with low inflation levels, poor policy responses and low demand.
CAREER CORNER
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is to stop looking for work over the holidays. Once Thanksgiving rolls around, our priorities shift.
I SWEAR
My early New Year’s resolution is to be more like Christopher Foyle. Demeanor-wise and wisdom-wise. No, I won’t be wearing a vest.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
I’m hoping all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did. I’m always thankful that our families can still get together and visit for extended times. Work, school, and the stress of the day-to-day stuff goes away for a while, and we just enjoy each other. That’s something to be thankful for.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam has named former higher education adviser Randy Boyd to become his new commissioner of economic development.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A group representing 40 mayors in Middle Tennessee is urging Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and state lawmakers to find new sources of revenue to pay for transportation needs.
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — Hemlock Semiconductor Group is permanently closing its idled polysilicon plant in Clarksville, citing global trade disputes that have led to an oversupply of the compound used in solar energy panels.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Attorneys for the state will try to convince the Tennessee Supreme Court justices that they should not have to turn over the names of executioners to the attorneys for 11 death row inmates.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week, with the benchmark 30-year loan rate reaching a new low for the year.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — The unprecedented hack of Sony Pictures which a U.S. official says is linked to North Korea may be the most damaging cyberattack ever inflicted on an American business.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — An index designed to predict the future health of the economy posted a third straight solid gain in November.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign of solid job security and growing confidence among employers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — If you didn't know about the lingering damage from the Great Recession, the U.S. economy would appear remarkably strong.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose sharply Thursday, led gains in by technology stocks after Oracle surged following a strong earnings report. Energy stocks lagged the market as the price of crude oil resumed its slide.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday to fix Russia's economic woes within two years, voicing confidence that the plummeting ruble will recover and promising to diversify Russia's gas-dependent economy.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday in a legal challenge from death row inmates that has already postponed two scheduled executions.
HEALTH CARE
NASHVILLE (AP) — More than 80 business, health care and civic groups have formed the Coalition for a Healthy Tennessee to support Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to offer health coverage to more than 200,000 low-income Tennesseans.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam on Wednesday named a top education official at Lipscomb University to be the next Education Department commissioner.
FedEx's second-quarter earnings soared 23 percent, but the package delivery company missed Wall Street forecasts due partially to a lower-than-expected benefit from falling fuel prices.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday confirmed a new administrator to lead the government's auto safety agency, which faces complaints that regulators bungled two high-profile recalls involving faulty ignition switches and exploding air bags.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — A pledge from the Federal Reserve to remain "patient" when deciding when to lift interest rates gave the stock market its biggest gain in more than a year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The top theater chains in North America have dropped "The Interview" after hackers threatened terrorist attacks at theaters showing the comedy, effectively squashing the Christmas Day release of the film.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve has sharply cut its forecast for inflation next year, saying it will remain far below its 2 percent target through 2015.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is signaling that it's edging closer to raising interest rates from record lows because of a strengthening U.S. economy and job market. But it is promising to be "patient" in determining when to raise rates.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Plunging gasoline costs pulled U.S. consumer prices lower in November, muting inflation across the entire economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Don't want to be confronted with the number of calories in that margarita or craft beer? Then avoid the menu and order at the bar.
NEW YORK (AP) — Threats of violence against movie theaters. The New York premiere of "The Interview" canceled. Leaks of thousands more private emails. Lawsuits by former employees that could cost tens of millions in damages.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama abruptly announced the U.S. is re-establishing long-broken diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday, declaring an end to America's "outdated approach" to the communist island in a historic shift aimed at ending a half-century of Cold War enmity.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — After 53 years of hostility between the United States and Cuba, the timing to make amends was perfect for both governments.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says his changes to U.S. policy with Cuba will make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba, and to use their credit and debit cards in the country.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The State Funding Board projects that Tennessee revenue growth will slow down in the upcoming budget year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee attorney general is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to let a ruling stand that upheld the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A Tennessee Republican senator has joined lawmakers in other states who have filed legislation that seeks to curtail federal regulation.
TECHNOLOGY
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — After just a few hours of deliberation, a jury in California found in favor of Apple on Tuesday in a billion-dollar class-action lawsuit over the price of its iPod music players.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Robin Williams' suicide seared into the world's collective mindset more than anything else this year, based on what people were searching for on Google.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trying to head off a new round of consumer headaches with President Barack Obama's health care law, the insurance industry says it will give customers more time to pay their premiums for January.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeded no more by Republican blocking tactics, Democrats are on track to win confirmation of up to 88 of President Barack Obama's top judicial nominations this year, a total that would be the highest for any president in two decades.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction of new homes fell slightly in November, reflecting weakness in construction of single-family homes.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Sudden twists in the price of oil and currency trading turned the stock market into a roller-coaster ride on Tuesday.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Michigan boot-maker, potato farmers and more than 1,200 contractors that supply parts for a next-generation fighter plane are among the many winners in the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill passed by Congress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday approved President Barack Obama's nomination of Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as U.S. surgeon general, despite opposition from Republicans and some Democrats over his support for gun control and past statements that gun violence is a public health issue.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that he has reached a deal to expand Medicaid in Tennessee after more than a year of discussions with federal officials.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Reaction to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to expand Medicaid in Tennessee:
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — At least 42 people have died and 58 have been injured in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.
DETROIT (AP) — United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams says he's not buying the Detroit Three automakers' argument against wage increases for longtime workers.
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — A labor group seeking to rival the United Auto Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee says it won't submit its list of members to the management until next month.
REAL ESTATE
U.S. homebuilders are feeling slightly less confident in their sales prospects heading into next year, even as their overall sales outlook remains favorable.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A resurgent U.S. economy has emerged from a long struggle with high unemployment and weak growth. And the Federal Reserve seems poised to recognize the sustained improvement.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil has fallen by nearly half in just six months, a surprising and steep plunge that has consumers cheering, producers howling and economists wringing their hands over whether this is a good or bad thing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing output in November surpassed its pre-recession peak, as auto production kicked into a higher gear.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are closing lower, extending losses from last week.
PARIS (AP) — Uber's low-cost ride ride-hailing service will be banned in France from the start of next year, the government said Monday as hundreds of taxi drivers blocked roads around Paris to protest what they claim are its unfair business practices.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Google is one of the major U.S. corporations researching the power of color in the working world, in everything from workspaces to marketing and branding.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As soon as Mark Kim found out his personal information was compromised in a data breach at Target last year, the 36-year-old tech worker signed up for the retailer's free credit monitoring offer so he would be notified if someone used his identity to commit fraud.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE(AP) — Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey says that if fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam succeeds in his negotiations with President Barack Obama's administration on a special Tennessee deal for Medicaid expansion, the result could be "sellable" to skeptical state lawmakers.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The approval of a constitutional amendment to give the state Legislature more power to regulate abortions in Tennessee may have opened the floodgates to proposals from Republican lawmakers in the upcoming session, but Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey says he doesn't expect most of them to succeed.
NASHVILLE (AP) — All of Tennessee's law enforcement agencies would have to adopt written policies to ban racial profiling, under legislation introduced in the General Assembly.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam says his tourism commissioner, Susan Whitaker, is leaving his administration after serving in that position for 12 years.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Fans heading to Memorial Gym will be facing some detours the next few weeks because of water pipe repairs underway near the team entrance.
TECHNOLOGY
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A "Driving While Black" smartphone application is set for release this month, but its developers say motorists should be careful when they use it.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. long-term mortgage rates edged higher this week after four weeks of declines, but they remained at historically low levels that could entice potential homebuyers.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Another forecast of weak global demand, another nosedive for oil.
NEW YORK (AP) — What a difference a week makes. Seven days after closing at record levels on the back of a strong employment report, the stock market slumped to its worst weekly loss in two and a half years.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The economic recovery has not been equal among the races, according to a Pew Research Center study released Friday.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Falling gas and food costs pushed down overall U.S. wholesale prices last month, evidence that cheaper oil worldwide is limiting inflation.
PARIS (AP) — A French court is expected to decide Friday whether to ban the ride-hailing company Uber's service after a complaint from rival taxi and car services.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board says employees can use their company email accounts for union organizing and other workplace-related purposes, if they do it on their own time.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Republicans take control of Congress next month, top on their agenda will be undoing environmental regulations they claim will harm the economy, chief among them President Barack Obama's plans to limit heat-trapping carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A battle between the Senate's old school veterans and new-breed freshmen such as tea partier Ted Cruz and liberal Elizabeth Warren is taking shape Friday as leaders push for passage of a $1.1 trillion spending bill needed to keep the government running.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republican leaders narrowly quelled a revolt among their conservatives Thursday, then worked to overcome Democratic opposition to legislation to provide $1.1 trillion in government spending and chart a new course for selected, highly shaky pension plans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — At the heart of the impasse in Congress over a must-pass spending bill is a provision involving the sorts of high-risk investments that ignited the 2008 financial crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday declared himself "much more optimistic" than he was last year about completing a major trade deal with Pacific Rim countries.